Sound-reproducing machine.



PATENTBD MAY 19, i908.

L. T.`HAILB. SOUND REPRODUGING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 11, 1907.

.Hy-.nlunnnnnn lllxlllllllllllll'l IZMLLLLUJ l wl NVENTUH wlmsssss.-

TTOHNEY.

No. 888,084. PATENTED MAY 19, 1908.

' L. T. HAILE.

, SOUND REPRODUCING MACHINE.

APPLIOATION FILED Nov. 11, 1907. z SHEETS-SHET 2.

. w'mlsssfs.- iwf/Iran Arro'fmfr.

LUTHER T. BAILE, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

SOUND-REPRODUCING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 19, 1908.

Application filed November 11,'190'7. Serial No. 401,565.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LUTHER T. HAILE, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city of Philadelphia, State of Pennsylvania, have vinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Sound Reproducing Machines, of which the following is a. full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this speclfication.

My invention relates to sound-reproducing machines of any of the known types, employing either a cylinder or a disk record with tubular means to convey sound-waves from the reproducer to a horn o'r'other sounddischarging means; and my invented device, applicable to such machines has for its ob ject to modulate the tone of the sounds so produced, from soft to loud or vice versa, producing diminuendo or crescendo at will, and while the instrument is playing if desired, and at same time to modify the quality-in respect of tone and timbre-ot` such sounds by causing all or a part of such sound-Waves, in motion through the conduit therefor, to le acted upon by a vibratable diaphragmatic valve, thus producing a clearer tone and with better definition, and also preserving the quality ol' the softer tones Which, in sound-reprodueing machines as commonly constructed, usually dil-ier in Y timbre from louder ones, especially when sound-amplifying means are employed with the machine. l

To these ei ls my invention consists in the combination with a conduit through which sound-waves are conducted and discharged from a reproducer, in a sound-rcprodueing machine, of a vibratable diaphragmatic valve inter osed in the path of movement of suoli sound-waves; with actuating means to cause suol` valve to wholly or partly close the said su! rid-conduit and cause the sound-waves, discharged through the same from the reproducer, to be acted upon by the vihratablc diaphragm of the valve; also in detail features of construction of the valve and its adjunctive parts, as hereinafter set forth.

In the accompanying drawings illustratingr my invention ;-Figu`re 1 is a sectional elevation of enough ol` one type of talking machine is necessary to illustrate. my invention. Fig. 2 is a section on the line @#1) of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a plan View of the valve detached, and Fig. 4 a section of the saine on the line a-bof Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a sectional elevation plan view of a specific form of the valve, and

g ig. 8 a section thereof 0n the line a-b of Referrim' now to said drawings in Fig. l thereof, 1 indicates the cabinet of a talking machine, 2 the turn-table, 3 the diskrecord thereon, 4 the reproducing diaphragm and stylus, 5 and 8 the two sections ofthe tubular sound-conveying arm, as commonly constructed, the sections being operatively united by the journal bearing 7 supported by the bracket 6, in order that the lower section 5 may have a pivotal swing while the upper section 8 is fixed. ln the open end of this upper section 8 the small end of the megaphone horn 9 is removably mounted, sleeve-like. At a point about midway in the length of the fixed section 8 of the sound-conveying arm or conduit is mounted my diaphragmatic valve hereinafter described, it being supported and actuated therein by the provision of peripherally-mounted spindles 10, 10, one of which is actuated by a knob 11. The spindles, where they pass through the wall of the section 8 of the sound-conduit are bushed by a sleeve 14 of felting or other soundinsulation to prevent rattling, and I prefer to add a washer device 12 for a like purpose. i f. l

The valve is constructed of a flat annular ring 15, on which is mounted a disk-like vin oratable diaphragm 1.6; and outside the 'perphery ofthe rim or ring 15 I prefer to mount a rubber ring to make a more or lesstight joint between it and the wall of the tubular sound-conduit. In Figs. 2 to 4 of thedrawings, I have shown a special form and character of this valvular vibratable diaphragm, made of wood, and in two sections 16 and 17 the latter resting on and cemented to the former, and arranged relatively to each other that the wood fibers of the two will run in transverse directions as indicated by the hatched lines in said Fig. 4. It is not essential howe 'er to make the diaphragm 16 of wood, nor to make it double by applying a superposed diaphragm 17. It may be made single as shown in Fig. 8, Sheet 2 in which 15 represents the annular supporting ring or rim of the valve, and 16 the vibratable diaphragm. ln such construction l prefer to mount Within the ring 15, below and without touching the under-face of the diaphragm i6, a series oicross pieces, 19, forming a soitbfor grid* sec Figs. '7 and 8. ln Fig. 5 l have shown my vibratable diaphragrnatic valve as applied to a-'iorm of machine invented by me and described and' claimed in an application heretofore nled by me, Serial'No. 375,766, in which the sound-- conveying conduit 5 discharges the sound-- Waves `from the reproducer into a resonancechamber indicated at 22 through an aperture 33 in the lower Wall 22 thereof (see Fig. d) this construction being shown Ibecause the valve, instead, of being actuated by rotation on its axis, fixed ior horizontal movement ina curved sidewise direction, to Wholly or partly cover lor uncover the sound-inlet 33 and contiguous discharge end oie the sound-'- conduit 5. To do that properly l supply the actuating mechanism shown in Fig. d, consisting of av jointed three-armedlever 26, 28

and 30, Working on pivots 27 and and stop-screws 35, Sonore provided. at suitable places, to so limit the sideivise movement oi the valve 15 as to indicate to the operator when it is Wholly over or wholly oil the opern ture 33 and the end of the sound-conduit 5 mounted therein. in such construction of the actuating means for the valve, applied. to

that type of machine, l prefer to bush the lower face oitlie valve rim by a dan'iping ma terial, such as felt, indicated at 20 in Figs; d'

and 8, to prevent rattling and to maire a more or less close joint between the adjacent face of the valve and the part of which it plays.

.T tis proper to add that the vibrating valve seems to give the best results when it is not made either too large or too small diamet-. rically, `and I have found that two inches en the form of machine shown in Fig. l, that it be mounted in that section, 8, of the soimd,n conduit, which is not movable relatively the disk-record 3, althoughv obviously, if the function recited of actuating thevalve While the machine is playing, is not desired, the vibratable valve may, be mounted in the smaller end oi' the hornitself.

It is also to be noted that When the upper `diaphragm i7 in the duplex construction shown in Fig. 4 is employed, it may best be made of graduated thickness; as this insures a stronger construction and better vibration as Well as a more even. vibration throughout senesi the entire structure. The diaphragm may also be made oil-prepared calf skin, suoli as is used in drum heads; or of mica; or indeed-of any material of which fixed vibratable diaphragms are noW commonly constructed. Or 1i desired., in making a duplex structure, as indicated in. Fig. fi, a combination of different substances may be employed, such as calfskin for the main diaphragm 16 and of Wood for the superposed diaphragm 17 these various combinations of substances, the toneproducing qualities of which are well known, may bc thus employed, to give a variety of tone' quality, as will be oovious to those skilled in the art. 4

in further statement of the operation of the device it may be said of the form of valvular diaphragm shown in Fig. 8 that f the sound-Waves, are deflected by the grid strips 19 against the under face of the da hragm and cause a greater numb r of soun -Waves to act thereon than Woul otherwise be the case, when the valve is -partly openin the sound-conduit, and insures practically an even quality oi tone regardless of theposition, for the time being, ofthe valve in the conduit; my experience with it'being that this added feature of construction j ves a clearer and. more musical tone and Wit much better definition. f l

Having thus described my invention, lv

claim as neiv and desire to secure by Letters l:atent:-

l. In combination with thesound dis charge passage of a `sound-reproducing maf chinea vibratable diaphragmatic va v a proximately equal diameter mounted t erein, with means to actuate it to adjust# ably control the area of such assage, saidI valve consistingeesentially o anann lar rim, with a diaphragm mounted thereon c m. posed of two layers of vibratable mat rial such as prepared skin cemented to each other, adapted to be symp athetically vibratori bv sound-Waves dischar ed a it from reproducen- 2. lncombin'ation with the `sound dis- 3. ln combination with theysound dis4 charge passage of a sound-reproducing 1119.-'

chine, a vibratable diaphragmatic valve, I` Which is movably adjustable to control the'. area of such passage, said valve consisting essentially of an annular rim, a series of bars forming a grid mounted diametrically Within said rim a vibratable diaphragm, mounted-on on' said aseos-4 said rim, and a second dia hra to and over the face of the st iaphragm.

4. In combination with the sound-discharge passage of a sound-reproducing machine, a vibratable diaphragmatic valve, which is movablyadjustable to control the area of such passage, said valve consisting essentially of an annular rim, a vibratable ual diameter diaphragm of approximately e mounted thereon, and a series o bars forming a grid mounted diametrically within said annular riln of the valve.

5. In a sound-reproducing machine the combination witha sound-chamber into which sound-waves are'discharged from a tonearm carrying a reproduccr, of a valvular diaphragm governing the inlet to said chamber and com osed of asupporting rim with a vihratable diaphragm mounted there'- on, and means to actuate it ina curved sidewise direction, consisting of a pivotally-connected three-armed lever, pivot pins connectway m cemented ing and operatively supporting said levers,

and stop devices adapted to limit the sidewise movement thereof.

6. In combination with the sound-discharge tubular conduit of a talking machine and with a communicating sound-passagearranged transversely thereto, of a vibratable diaphragmatic valve interposed -between such conduit and passageway, said valve consisting of an annular rim, a resilient ring on the periphery thereof, a vibratable diaphragm mounted on saidrim, a damping material such as felt on the lower face of said annular rim, and means to actuate said valve. [n testimony whereof, I have hereunto affixed my signature this ninth day of November A. D. 1907.

LUTHER T. BAILE.

, Vitnesses:

A. M. BIDDLE, Josnrn W. SHANNON. 

